Adjuvant treatment with Wu-Zi-Yan-Zong formula for abnormal sperm parameters associated with male infertility: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BackgroundWu-Zi-Yan-Zong (WZYZ) formula is a traditional Chinese botanical drug that has been used to treat male infertility. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate its effectiveness of the WZYZ formula as an adjuvant therapy for treating abnormal sperm parameters associated with male infertility.Metho...

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Main Authors: Feilun Cui, Yueshi Zhang, Yu Fan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Pharmacology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1580705/full
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author Feilun Cui
Feilun Cui
Yueshi Zhang
Yu Fan
author_facet Feilun Cui
Feilun Cui
Yueshi Zhang
Yu Fan
author_sort Feilun Cui
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundWu-Zi-Yan-Zong (WZYZ) formula is a traditional Chinese botanical drug that has been used to treat male infertility. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate its effectiveness of the WZYZ formula as an adjuvant therapy for treating abnormal sperm parameters associated with male infertility.MethodsA comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, SinoMed, Wanfang, and CNKI databases until December 12, 2024 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assessed the effectiveness of the WZYZ formula as an adjuvant therapy for treating abnormal sperm parameters associated in men with infertility. For dichotomous data, the pooled results were summarized as risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), while continuous data were expressed as pooled weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% CI.ResultsA total of 11 RCTs involving 951 men were identified. The pooled results showed that the WZYZ formula, when combined with control treatment, significantly improved the pregnancy rate of female partners (RR 1.68; 95% CI 1.34–2.11), semen volume (WMD 0.58 mL; 95% CI 0.28–0.89), sperm concentration (WMD 6.87 × 106/mL; 95%CI 4.24–9.51), total sperm motility (WMD 15.55%; 95% CI 10.38–20.72), forward grade (a) sperm motility (WMD 5.44%; 95% CI 1.86–9.01), forward grade (a + b) sperm motility (WMD 7.14%; 95% CI 4.04–10.23), abnormal sperm morphology (WMD −10.38%; 95% CI −15.72 to −5.03), and activity of the acrosome enzyme (WMD 8.02 × 106 μIU; 95% CI 3.58–12.46.ConclusionAdjuvant treatment with WZYZ formula significantly improves the pregnancy rate of female partners by improving several semen parameters in infertile men with abnormal sperm parameters. However, further well-designed RCTs with larger sample sizes are necessary to definitively determine the efficacy and safety of the WZYZ formula in treating abnormal sperm parameters associated with male infertility.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024629510.
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spelling doaj-art-956b84d3d95e40b5872c19d9882ff4c32025-08-20T02:11:25ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pharmacology1663-98122025-05-011610.3389/fphar.2025.15807051580705Adjuvant treatment with Wu-Zi-Yan-Zong formula for abnormal sperm parameters associated with male infertility: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsFeilun Cui0Feilun Cui1Yueshi Zhang2Yu Fan3Department of Urology, Affiliated Taizhou Second People’s Hospital of Yangzhou University, Taizhou, ChinaDepartment of Urology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, ChinaDepartment of Medical Laboratory Science, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenyang, Liaoning, ChinaCancer Institute, The Affiliated People’s Hospital, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, ChinaBackgroundWu-Zi-Yan-Zong (WZYZ) formula is a traditional Chinese botanical drug that has been used to treat male infertility. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate its effectiveness of the WZYZ formula as an adjuvant therapy for treating abnormal sperm parameters associated with male infertility.MethodsA comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, SinoMed, Wanfang, and CNKI databases until December 12, 2024 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assessed the effectiveness of the WZYZ formula as an adjuvant therapy for treating abnormal sperm parameters associated in men with infertility. For dichotomous data, the pooled results were summarized as risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), while continuous data were expressed as pooled weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% CI.ResultsA total of 11 RCTs involving 951 men were identified. The pooled results showed that the WZYZ formula, when combined with control treatment, significantly improved the pregnancy rate of female partners (RR 1.68; 95% CI 1.34–2.11), semen volume (WMD 0.58 mL; 95% CI 0.28–0.89), sperm concentration (WMD 6.87 × 106/mL; 95%CI 4.24–9.51), total sperm motility (WMD 15.55%; 95% CI 10.38–20.72), forward grade (a) sperm motility (WMD 5.44%; 95% CI 1.86–9.01), forward grade (a + b) sperm motility (WMD 7.14%; 95% CI 4.04–10.23), abnormal sperm morphology (WMD −10.38%; 95% CI −15.72 to −5.03), and activity of the acrosome enzyme (WMD 8.02 × 106 μIU; 95% CI 3.58–12.46.ConclusionAdjuvant treatment with WZYZ formula significantly improves the pregnancy rate of female partners by improving several semen parameters in infertile men with abnormal sperm parameters. However, further well-designed RCTs with larger sample sizes are necessary to definitively determine the efficacy and safety of the WZYZ formula in treating abnormal sperm parameters associated with male infertility.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024629510.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1580705/fullWu-Zi-Yan-Zong formulaabnormal sperm parametersmale infertilityrandomized controlled trialsmeta-analysis
spellingShingle Feilun Cui
Feilun Cui
Yueshi Zhang
Yu Fan
Adjuvant treatment with Wu-Zi-Yan-Zong formula for abnormal sperm parameters associated with male infertility: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Frontiers in Pharmacology
Wu-Zi-Yan-Zong formula
abnormal sperm parameters
male infertility
randomized controlled trials
meta-analysis
title Adjuvant treatment with Wu-Zi-Yan-Zong formula for abnormal sperm parameters associated with male infertility: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
title_full Adjuvant treatment with Wu-Zi-Yan-Zong formula for abnormal sperm parameters associated with male infertility: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
title_fullStr Adjuvant treatment with Wu-Zi-Yan-Zong formula for abnormal sperm parameters associated with male infertility: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
title_full_unstemmed Adjuvant treatment with Wu-Zi-Yan-Zong formula for abnormal sperm parameters associated with male infertility: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
title_short Adjuvant treatment with Wu-Zi-Yan-Zong formula for abnormal sperm parameters associated with male infertility: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
title_sort adjuvant treatment with wu zi yan zong formula for abnormal sperm parameters associated with male infertility a meta analysis of randomized controlled trials
topic Wu-Zi-Yan-Zong formula
abnormal sperm parameters
male infertility
randomized controlled trials
meta-analysis
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1580705/full
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